Chiara Benvenuto

White House stalls release of approved US science budgets The US Congress rejected sweeping cuts to science agencies. But the NIH, the NSF and NASA have had their spending slowed.

'“This is a drastic departure from historical practice,” Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member of a US House of Representatives committee that drafts government spending bills, told Nature.'

SORTEE Webinar: On what makes good sharable and reproducible R code, how to do it, and why it’s good for science For this month's SORTEE webinar, Dr. Dax Kellie from the Atlas of Living Australia will present on good, sharable, and reproducible R code in science

Coming up in March! Join @sortee.bsky.social for a webinar with @daxkellie.bsky.social on good, shareable, and reproducible R code - register here: events.humanitix.com/sortee-webin...

Front cover of my book, titled "Comparative musicology: Evolution, universals, and the science of the world's music" (published today by Oxford University Press)

1st of my 4-page essay published in Nature today titled "Music is not a universal language - but it can bring us together when words fail" Picture caption: "Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny (centre) performed in Spanish at the half-time show of the 2026 American Football Super Bowl LX."

My book is now published! 🌏🎶🧪

You can download it for free at academic.oup.com/book/62353 - I’d be grateful if you do!
I also published an accessible summary with audio/video today in @nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Try reading that first, then give the whole book a read if you like it!

Former ICE Attorney Schwank on Why He Left Agency YouTube video by C-SPAN

This video of former ICE attorney Ryan Schwank on why he left the agency is an absolute *must watch*. Please share widely.

The Epstein files document what many women researchers have long experienced but rarely seen laid bare so starkly: exclusion operating behind closed doors, shaping who gets funded, invited, mentored, and taken seriously. How many of these networks, norms, and gatekeepers remain in place?

Out now in @currentbiology.bsky.social!

A dive into the deep history of vertebrate vision, together with @mikebok.bsky.social, @neurofishh.bsky.social and @denilsson.bsky.social

Photo credit : Vasilis Karkalas

Beyond Mendel: a call to revisit the genotype–phenotype map through new experimental paradigms Abstract. The long-standing notion that genotypes map to phenotypes through simple one gene–one trait relationships continues to shape both research in the

New Perspective!🔥It's fascinating how scientists from different fields but interested in the same question [e.g. genotype-phenoytpe relationship] can have such different perspectives. Here we put in our 2 cents wrt genetic effects being context-dependent, and pheno variation being mostly polygenic

An unknown scale insect from Costa Rica.

I'm back with another weird scale insect repro study. Previously I've talked about the simultaneous hermaphrodite cottony cushion scales and (functional) haplodiploidy paternal genome elimination in mealybugs. But how did these systems evolve? The Mongue lab has some answers! 1/n #genomics

Follow the special issue: Addressing Biases in Animal Behaviour www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu... @asab.org

Front cover of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B showing a trumpetfish shadowing a non-threatening species of a similar colour to aid its hunting success.

Delighted that a #trumpetfish has made the 🌟cover🌟 of @royalsocietypublishing.org journal #ProceedingsB.

Read about how these predatory #fish hide against similarly coloured non-threatening species to #camouflage on the move in our #OpenAccess article:

doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

#behaviour #marine

Introduction to the talk, with the title: Social by nature: from animal minds to inclusive Science communities

Today, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, I am really looking forward to listening to @wascherclaudia.bsky.social in her talk "Social by nature: from animal minds to inclusive Science communities". Thanks Claudia!

A wonderful way to start the week with news that vertical farms are spreading across the #Maasai community by the Enduata Emaa Organisation - supporting community #resilience and #diversification

It was a great pleasure to present, with @naiarasales.bsky.social, the succesful partnership between Environmental Research & Innovation Centre (ERIC) and Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust #IPBES12 "Evidence to Action: Mobilising Sciences, Business & Policy for Nature" event! @ipbes.net

IPBES stakeholder day logo

What a busy week! Monday was #IPBES12 stakeholder day @ipbes.net! A fabulous forum for scientists, Indigenous people, governments, biodiversity leaders and all stakeholders. Key points discussed: reach, uptake & impact and business and biodiversity! @alice-risely.bsky.social @amyleedale.bsky.social

Round ceramic plate with three fishes.

Bottom surface of the other picture showing no fishes.

Here is a 400BCE plate from souther Italy for serving fish. Three species of sparids (sea bream) are shown. Sea bream were among the first farmed fish this plate represents a common group of species from that area.
🧪🐡

Visited the Natural History Museum London last week and honestly: collections like this are the backbone of everything we think we know about the ocean. Absolute treasure trove.

www.ipbes.net

Great panels at the @ipbes.net stakeholder day today! A fabulous forum for scientists, Indigenous people, governments, biodiversity leaders and all stakeholders. Key points discussed: reach, uptake & impact and business and biodiversity! @alice-risely.bsky.social @amyleedale.bsky.social

New paper! We challenge the universality of dietary restriction for lifespan extension! It works for inbred but not for genetically diverse populations. In outbred Nothobranchius furzeri, neither protein nor caloric restriction delayed actuarial senescence #AgingResearch

White snowdrop flowers

Crocus flowers, almoat ready to open up

Cold, but not too cold for snowdrop and crocus flowers! A bit of colour for a gray day...

Hundreds of societies have been in crises like ours. An expert explains how they got out. An analysis of historical crises over the past 2,000 years offers lessons for avoiding the end times.

Worth a read of this piece by Peter Turchin in these turbulent times:
www.vox.com/the-highligh...

Snowy view from the plane

Prague Airport sign, against a blue sky

Prague seen from the window ofvthe airport shuttle, over the bridge

Brno at night,from the hotel window

Made it to Brno! Invigorating and refreshing weather, the journey was fabulous. I cannot wait for the symposium of fish mating systems to start tomorrow!!!! fish.ivb.cz/@fishecoevo.... 🐟🐟🐟🐟

The Gods are on my side tonight … this is rural Cavan right now ..

#Aurora #NorthernLights #ThisIsCavan #Ireland

Cover of the Italian version of the book,with elephants in the water

Book #3: "Elefanti in giardino" (Elephants in the garden), by Italo-Kenyan conservationist Kuki Gallman. A vivid memoir of life in Italy and then in Kenya, with family bonds, evocative descriptions, sensory details, recipes and a profound love for Africa

PhD position in fish ecology at the university of Gothenburg @naturvetenskap.bsky.social with fieldwork at Kristineberg marine station @kristinebergcenter.bsky.social

Apply here: web103.reachmee.com/ext/I005/103...

Orange clouds in the sky, reflected in the water of the quays

Today is rainy, but yesterday the sunset was gorgeous. Little relief in a dark world...

180,000 Strong Inuit Standing Together YouTube video by Ayyu

An Inuit message of solidarity and support for our 🇬🇱 relatives from Inuit of Alaska and Canada ❤️

You are not alone. We love you and stand for your right to self-determine the future of your nunaat ✨️

#InuitNunaat #InuitNunangat #Greenland #KalaallitNunaat #KalaallitPigaat

youtu.be/MeE8PHbLgfo?...

🚨 BREAKING: The High Seas Treaty enters into force today – without the UK 🌊

81 countries have ratified. The UK still hasn’t.

This treaty could create the largest network of ocean sanctuaries in history. No more excuses. Ratify the #HighSeasTreaty now. 🌍✊⏳

International Fellowships 2026 The International Fellowships Programme enables researchers to work for two years at a UK institution with the aim of building a globally connected, mobile research and innovation workforce. Funding status Open for applications Career stage Early-career

Please help spread the word on this, especially to those who may be feeling cold winds towards their research.

We’ve opened the call for our International Fellowships, enabling early career researchers to work for two years at a UK research institution
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...